Electric railway



(No Model.)

W. H. KNIGHT.

ELEOTRIG RAILWAY. No. 338,174. H Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

WITNESEES N. PEI'ERS, Phom-Lilhagraphun wmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVALTER H. KNIGHT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

$PECIZE'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,174, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed May 11, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for maintaining electrical connection between an electric locomotive and the electric conductors that extend along the line of the railway.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside view of the device. Fig. 2 is a section of a single plow. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device when thrown out of position. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details.

The general arrangement of my device is similar to that shown in my Patent No.305, 731, September 23, 1885, there being a slotted conduit inclosing the conductors and 2. depending carrier extending into the slot, to which is attached an insulated conductor terminating in a contact device adapted to slide along a conductor fixed to the wall of the conduit.

My invention is not limited to two fixed conductors in the slotted conduit, for the conduit itself or the track-rails, or both, may take the place of one conductor.

In Fig. 1, x y represent the line of the conduit-top, and A A are the depending carriers, or plows, as they are preferably termed.

E is a supporting-frame, hung from fixed parts 0 O of the locomotive by the pivots ee, about which as a longitudinal axis it is free to swing. To this frame E the plows are attached by means of rigid connections F F, which are pivoted to the frame so as to swing freely about a transverse axis, the two plows being connected together by pivoted connecting-bar G,

so as to havea parallel movement about the 'are beveled, so that when the plows meet an obstruction the lever is thrown out of the notch and the plows come up through the slot into the position shown in Fig. 3.

Each plow consists of the solid metallic 5o shank extending through the slot and taking the wear against the sides. To the lower end Serial No. 165,103. (No model.)

of this shank is hinged afoot, B, of insulating material, by means of spring-hinge D, and a metallic contact-shoe, O, is fastened on the shoe, so as to be pressed constantly against the main conductor by the said spring-hinge. Through the shank and the foot B is drilled a small hole, as shown in Fig. 2, (which is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1,) and a small insulated conductor, L, is passed through it, and connected at its lower end to contact-shoe O and at its upper end to binding-post M, whence a flexible conductor leads to the motor on the locomotive in the usual manner. By this arrangement the motor is kept in constantcou nection with the mains as it advances, the two plows connecting with the twomains, respectively.

When the plow is thrown out, as shown in Fig. 3, it is desirable that the motor-circuit should be broken at the same time, and this is accomplished by placing a switch in the circuit, which is automatically operated by the movement of lever K in either direction from its vertical position.

In the drawings, S is an insulatingbase holding two contact-plates, s 8, connected to the two terminals of the motor-circuit. This base is fastened to frame E, so as to move with it, and the lever K, whenin its normal position, closes the circuit between the plates 8 s, but breaks the circuit when thrown over, as in Fig. 3.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the insulating-foot B is larger than the contact-shoe O; and in Fig. 5 it is shown that the shoe is not of a sufficient length to bridge the space between the conductor and the edge of the slot, but that the foot is, so that the foot and shoe may be inserted or withdrawn from the conduit and no electrical connection be made between conductor and conduit, for the insulatingfoot will guide the shoe onto the face of the conductor, and the conductingshoe will not bridge across from slot to conductor. The foot B is preferably made of vulcanized fiber.

Several features of the plow above de scribed are shown but not claimed in an application filed herewith.

The following mattcrshown herein is reserved for claim in application Serial No.

165,102, of even date herewith: The combination,wit-h a railway and an electric locomotive thereon, of a stationary supply conductor parallel with the railway, and a contact-conductor resting constantly upon said supplyconductor and supported from the locomotive by a connecting device capable of lateral movement about a longitudinal axis.

I claim 1. The combination of a metallic shank, a contact shoe movable relatively to said shank, an insulating-support for said shoe, and an insulated conductor connected to said shoe and extending through said shank.

2. The combination, with a metallic shank, of the contact-shoe, a movable insulating-support for said shoe, and an insulated conductor extending through said shank and connecting with said shoe.

3. The combination, with the metallic shank extending into the slot, of a contactshoe supported from said shank and a flexible insulated conductor extending through said shank and connecting with said shoe.

4. The combination, with the supportingshank, of the contact-shoe carried thereby through intermediateinsulating material and movable relatively thereto, and the flexible insulated conductor extending through said shank and connecting withsaid shoe.

5. The combination, with an electric locomotive and the main conductor, of a contact device adapted to pass along said con- .ductor and held in position by a detachable connection with the locomotive, adapted to give way upon the said device meeting an obstruction.

6. The combination, with an electric locomotive and the main conductor, of a contact device adapted to slide along said conductor and held in positiomby a spring-catch connection with said locomotive, adapted to give way when the said device meets an obstruction.

7. The combination,withthe main conduct or, of the shank extending into the conduit, and a contact-shoe movable relatively to said shank, and an insulating-backing for said shoe movable therewith.

8. The combination of the contact-shoe and the supporting-foot of watcrproofed fiber.

9. The contactshoe provided with an extension of insulating material.

10. The combination of a slotted metallic conduit, a fixed conductor therein, contactshoe shorter than the distance of the conductor below the slot, and extensions on said shoe,of insulating material.

11. The combination, in an electric railway, of the main conductor, an electric locomotive, a contact device adapted to slide along said conductor, and a circuit-controller in the circuit of said locomotive dependent on the me chanical connection between said contact de- -vice and the locomotive.

12. The combination, in an electric railway, of the main conductor, an electric locomotive, a contact device connected to the said locomotive, but movable relatively thereto, and a switch in the circuit of the locomotive connected to the said contact device, so as to be actuated by its movement relative to the 10- comotive.

18. The combination of plow A, lever K, and the switch in the motor-circuit controlled by the said lever.

14. The combination, with aslotted conduit and a longitudinal conductor therein, of a connection device consisting of a shank having an insulated conductor extending through the slot, and a contact portion resting constantly under pressure of a spring against the said longitudinal conductor and movable rela tively to said shank on a longitudinal axis.

15. The combination, in an electric railway, of the slotted conduit, the conductor therein having a bare contact-surface and placed at a fixed height relatively to the edge of the slot, an electrically-propelled vehicle on said railway, and a contact device extending from said vehicle into said conduit and connected to said Vehicle by a joint having a longitudinal axis at a point a distance above the edge of the slot greater than the distance of the conductor below the said edge.

16. The combination, with two contact plows independently hung from an electrically-propelled vehicle, of a connection between them pivoted to each, so as to permit of aparallel link motion of the two plows relative to their supports.

17. The combination, with an electric locomotive, of a slotted conduit, a conductor fixed therein,an insulated conductor connected with said locomotive and extending into the conduit, and a contact device connected therewith thinner than the width of the slot, so as to be withdrawn therethrough.

18. The combination, with a conductor inclosed in a slotted conduit, of an insulated conductor extending through the slot and a collapsible contact device at its inner end adapted to be withdrawn through the slot of the conduit.

19. The combination, withaslotted conduit containing an insulated electric conductor, of

an electrically-propelled vehicle, a contact de vice connected therewith adapted to extend into the conduit and to be withdrawn there from, and a guard on said contact device, upon which it is adapted to ride when pulled out of the conduit.

20. The comhination,with a slotted conduit and fixed conductor therein, of a conductor connected with a moving vehicle and extending into said conduit through the slot, and a contact-piece normally held under springpressure at an angle to said conductor, but capable of movement against said spring into a position in line with said conductor, whereby the said conductor and contact-piece may be withdrawn through the slot.

21. The combination, with an electric locomotive and a slotted conduit containing a stationary conductor, of a contact-conductor ex IIS tending into said conduit through the slot, and connected with said locomotive through a joint having a transverse axis and a contact device inclosed in said conduit, but removable therefrom, connected with said conductor.

22. The combination,with a slotted conduit and an electrically-propelled vehicle, of a conductor connected with said vehicle and extending into said conduit, to connect with a supply-conductor therein, being also movable about a transverse axis and removable from the conduit through the slot, and a stop in the path of movement of the conductor, adapted to give way when the conductor meets an obstruction.

23. The combination, with a vehicle and a stationary electric conductor inclosed in a conduit, of aconductor extending into said conduit, and a contact-piece connected therewith lVALTER H. KNIGHT.

\ Attest:

E. M. BENTLEY, ALBERT E. LYNCH. 

